QANTAS CEO Alan Joyce says he still hasn't received formal notification from Boeing about delays to its Dreamliner 787 delivery despite the ongoing worldwide grounding of the jets and a looming delivery date.

Mr Joyce today said the airline is continuing to work closely with Boeing to get the troubled Dreamliner aircraft back in the air as soon as possible.

He said Boeing has been in daily contact as it tries to get the aircraft, which was tipped to turn around the airline's struggling international business, back in the air safely.

The airline has firm orders for 14 Dreamliner planes for its budget arm Jetstar, with options to order 50 of the longer-range 788-9 planes. The first delivery is expected to be as soon as August.

"Our top priority, as is Boeing’s and the regulators' priority, is to make sure we get that aircraft back into the air safely, and safety is the number one priority around this," Mr Joyce said.

"We are working with Boeing about what that will mean to our deliveries. We haven't had any formal notice from Boeing that there's going to be any change to our delivery schedule, but we are planning contingencies for if that schedule is pushed out.

"We do believe we have flexibility. We've shown flexibility in the past to be able to cope with further delays if they are to occur. We think the aircraft is still going to be a great aircraft."

Today the airline announced a profit of $111 million in the six months to December 31, including the $125m compensation from Boeing from the earlier delay in delivery for 787s. It cancelled 35 Dreamliner orders last years.

It comes as AFP reports Boeing is set to propose to US regulators a plan to temporarily fix problems with the 787 Dreamliner's batteries that have kept the much-heralded planes on the ground for more than a month. Boeing reportedly hopes an interim plan to shield the plane from battery fires will convince US safety authorities to allow the 50 planes grounded around the world to return to service by May at the earliest.

The 787 fleet has been grounded since January 16 after a battery caught fire on a Japan Airlines plane parked in Boston and a smoking battery led to an emergency landing by an All Nippon Airways plane in Japan. A probe into the overheating of a lithium ion battery in the All Nippon Airways plane found it was improperly wired, Japan's Transport Ministry said.

When the first Dreamliner plane came to Australia during a global tour in 2012, Jetstar Australia and New Zealand CEO David Hall said the "plane of the future" would be a key part of keeping airfares low as it reduces operational costs such as maintenance and fuel.

It will also deliver great benefit to Qantas, with Mr Joyce saying it will help the airline thrive amid the current challenges facing its international business. He said it will also make the airline's fleet the youngest since the business was privatised.

While it has not been suggested the plane's fundamental design can't be fixed, analysts remain uncertain how much will need to be changed and whether the problem is isolated to the batteries.

The Dreamliner is considered an aviation breakthrough, with its extensive use of lightweight composite materials and electronics instead of aluminium and hydraulics.

International airlines have embraced the plane as a way to cut fuel costs by as much as 25 per cent.

Fleet changes

The airline also announced it will upgrade its entire fleet of Airbus A330s and order new Boeing 737-800s.

Next year it will start reconfiguring the interior of its 10 A330-300s, for flights between Australia and Asia, and 20 A330-200s, for domestic routes between the east coast and Perth with a new flat seat in business class and new inflight entertainment offering. It will retire its 767s.

“The refurbished aircraft will give Qantas International a truly world-class product in global aviation's most dynamic and competitive market," Mr Joyce said. "Growing with Asia is a major priority for the Qantas Group and this investment underpins our commitment to the region."

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